Kaden, 4

He grips the ball tight and runs right between Mickey Mouse’s legs. Touchdown Kaden!

Four-year-old Kaden deals with a life-threatening autoimmune disorder, but when times get scary he thinks of the power of football and the magic of Mickey Mouse to brighten his day. He asked wish granters for the opportunity to combine both of these things.

With the help of Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World® Resort cast members, Tyler Junior College students and professors and Make-A-Wish® North Texas volunteers, Kaden’s day is surely lifted when Mickey Mouse walks onto the field donned in football gear.

“I have never seen Kaden’s eyes light up more in my entire life,” Kaden’s mom, Amy, says.

As the crowd watches Mickey Mouse set up the ball for Kaden’s strong kick they know they are witnessing the remarkable impact of a Make-A-Wish® experience on the lives of everyone involved.

Don Blaine, professor of Business Management at Tyler Junior College says every time his students sponsor a wish “they are changed forever.”

“It changes their view of the world and of themselves. The impact goes way beyond the campus here at TJC,” Don says.

Kaden’s mom says her favorite part of the wish experience was meeting the students that helped raise money for her son to share the power of a wish®.

“They will probably never know how much this meant to our son, and how much it meant to us to know that there are people out there who are willing to give so much and expect nothing in return,” she says.

Disney is proud to be a long-time supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® and uses its magic to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Over the past 30 years, Disney has supported the Make-A-Wish® mission, contributing more than $8 million in cash and in-kind donations each year. With more than 7,000 wishes granted every year – including visits to the Disney Parks, Disney cruises, meeting Disney characters, attending sporting events and visiting TV and movie sets – Disney-themed wishes continue to be the most popular requests by children to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.